Former Catalan Ministers of Culture Lluís Puig, Laura Borrás, Ferran Mascarell, Joan Manuel Tresserras, and Àngels Ponsa filed a lawsuit this Tuesday with the High Court of Justice of Aragon (TSJA) against the judge in Huesca, demanding that she halt any action stemming from the transfer of the artworks. During the presentation of the lawsuit at the Cotxeres de Sants, as reported by the Catalan News Agency (ACN), the former ministers warned that the legal proceedings are essentially "political" and that the response from the Catalan government, the Ministry of Culture, and the Barcelona City Council is "weak." They also lamented that Aragon is promoting the measure to "eliminate" Catalan identity. Former Minister Ferran Mascarell questioned whether this matter is intended as a humiliation for Catalans, given that the Prado Museum in Madrid is not required to return other works in a similar situation. "They are absolutely convinced that Catalan identity must be eradicated," he warned. Speaking via videoconference, former Catalan Minister Lluís Puig called for compliance with Catalan cultural heritage laws and warned that they do not intend to surrender. "The last action left to us will be to chain ourselves to the doors of the MNAC," he quipped about the current state of the legal proceedings. "I hope the lawsuit stops the irreparable damage that the destruction of these works would cause to humanity," Puig pleaded. Former Catalan Minister Joan Manuel Tresserras called for the preservation of the works' integrity and asserted that there is an operation underway to fragment the territorial unity of certain regions. After praising the heritage work carried out by the Catalan side, he stated that when Aragon accuses Catalans of plundering, "it's a lie." "The Generalitat's main mistake has been not being diligent enough in explaining what has been done so that the Catalan people can feel proud of it," Tresserras said. Former councilor Laura Borràs said they have the "force of reason" and that Catalans cannot resign themselves to a situation that challenges everyone. Borràs argued that the issue is one of the most elaborate forms of "Catalanophobia." She stated that no legal decision should supersede the principle of preservation and that the spirit of possession cannot prevail over the desire for conservation. For all these reasons, the former councilor and former president of the Parliament said that Sijena is a legal battle "but also a political, cultural, moral, and national one."

The continued legal victories in the Sijena case have made Jorge Español one of the most high-profile and controversial lawyers in Spain. Now, Español is anxiously awaiting the transfer of the murals from the monastery's chapter house to Sijena, while the MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalonia) continues its fight to keep them from leaving the museum. The interview took place a few days before Español requested an act of conciliation to the director of the MNAC, Pepe Serra, demanding 90,000 euros in damages and his resignation due to statements Serra made during the presentation of the museum's 2026 program. "They won't get the better of me. I don't care what they publish, it only motivates me more and makes things work out for me."

Sijena's lawyer, Jorge Español, has followed through on his threat to take legal action against the director of the MNAC, Pepe Serra, for defamation: this Wednesday he requested a conciliation hearing before the Barcelona Court of First Instance, considered the preliminary step to filing a lawsuit. According to the request, to which ARA has had access, Serra mocked Español for "very responsibly" requesting that the listening of the new album be suspended. Rosalía in the Oval Room from the museum, because "the vibrations" could damage the Sijena murals.

The lawyer for the Vilanova de Sijena City Council, Jorge Español, announced this Tuesday that he will file a lawsuit against the director of the MNAC. Pepe SerraThe lawyer is referring to statements made by Serra at a press conference on Monday, in which he questioned the lawyer's qualifications. Serra had requested the suspension of a listening session for Rosalía's new album at the Oval Room, citing concerns about potential damage to the paintings, without any prior assessment of their condition before they could be moved. According to media present, Serra said: "What's unacceptable is considering that a Rosalía concert could affect the paintings and that squeezing them into 74 pieces is easily done. Whoever says this should see a doctor."

The debate continues regarding the relocation of the murals from the chapter house of the Sijena Monastery. The Minister of Culture, Sònia Hernández Almodóvar, announced this Friday in Brussels that it is necessary to gather "all the information" and assess "all the risks" before taking any steps to move works such as the Sijena murals currently housed in the MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalonia). "To carry out any movement of pieces of this size and nature, what is needed and required [...] is an assessment of the risks involved in moving these pieces, and to do everything necessary based on these risks," Hernández stated in an appearance following the meeting of the Culture and Sport Council. Regarding whether the case should be appealed to the Constitutional Court, the Minister believes that this avenue "would not even be admissible" because "no fundamental right is being violated." Another point addressed by the Minister is the upcoming meeting of the MNAC's board of trustees to discuss the next steps concerning the murals. She noted that the various parties involved "are already working" while, in parallel, they await further responses from the judge in Huesca. "When the time comes, with everything we have on the table and with the strategic proposal from the lawyers of the Generalitat, those of the MNAC, and the legal advisors, then we will plan the next steps," Hernández stated. On another note, the Minister of Culture believes that the case of the Sijena murals is "very particular." Addressing potential fears that the paintings could open a can of worms regarding other works, Hernández points out that each historical piece has "a very particular history" and that each situation should be analyzed "case by case."

The judge in Huesca has rejected the appeals filed by the Catalan government and the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC) against the document authorizing the Vilanova de Sijena Town Council to question museum staff and enter the storage area to search for more frescoes from the monastery. The ruling states that access to the storage area is limited to the works in dispute—listed in document number 11 of the lawsuit—and that they "are not located in rooms" 16 and 17 of the museum. "All of this is in order to allow the plaintiff to establish a definitive timeline," the text states. In this regard, the MNAC maintains that none of the frescoes are in storage and that all of them are located in the two rooms. According to MNAC officials, the works in dispute are "perfectly identified and indicated" in the ruling and are those on display in rooms 16 and 17. Regarding the questioning of technicians, the court order indicates that the authorization is limited to the Vilanova City Council "obtaining from the MNAC and Aragonese government technicians the information necessary to issue their respective reports, with the ultimate goal of allowing the executing party to prepare the appropriate timeline." There are none in the warehouse.

Sources at the MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalonia) have told ACN (Cuban News Agency) that the judge's ruling supports their position because it states that the measure to enter the museum's storage facilities is "limited" to whether any of the paintings mentioned in the judgment are not on display in rooms 16 and 17. In this context, the museum maintains that all the works are in storage. According to MNAC officials, the works in dispute are "perfectly identified and listed" in the judgment and are those exhibited in rooms 16 and 17. On November 4, the museum stated that the scope of the judgment was clearly defined: the paintings in rooms 16 and 17 of the MNAC. It also stated that entering the storage areas to search for additional items was not part of the legal procedure.

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The lawyer for Vilanova de Sijena, Jorge Español, entered the MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalonia) on Tuesday with Aragonese experts to examine the mural paintings. This was reported... The Newspaper Sources at the museum confirmed to ACN that Español wanted to question the technicians and access the storage areas, but the MNAC objected. However, the lawyer explained to ACN that the visit was "positive" because the museum's technicians reportedly showed a willingness to cooperate in enforcing the court order. Español also stated that they will now analyze what they observed and provide further information. in the Huesca courthouseRegarding the reserve material they haven't been able to see, he commented that it's because the MNAC has filed an appeal, and the judge is still ruling on it. The museum maintains that the subject of the ruling is clearly defined—the paintings in rooms 16 and 17 of the MNAC—and that entering the reserves in search of more items is not within the scope of the proceedings. The museum also refuses to question its staff. Español reportedly requested access to the museum's reserves because he believes there may be more fragments from Sijena, as the MNAC explained. The lawyer, they added, believes that the square footage removed from the monastery and transferred by Josep Gudiol does not match the square footage in rooms 16 and 17 of the MNAC. In statements to ACN, Español assured that the visit was "very positive" because the MNAC technicians are open to collaborating to comply with the court ruling, and that is "the best way to carry out this operation." In this regard, he added that "if everyone collaborates and the necessary technical input is provided, the transfer operation will proceed without problems." With the information gathered this Tuesday, the technicians accompanying the lawyer from Vilanova de Sijena will submit new documents to the Huesca court handling the case. Español did not specify, however, when this new submission is expected. He also acknowledged that they were not allowed access to the storage area and said it was because this option is not provided for in the court order. Español also reiterated that the transfer of the paintings should not be subject to a timetable, as established by the Aragonese government, and called for a "safe operation" with the consensus of all the technicians.

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The government of Aragon accuses the MNAC of having acted with "negligence" and "lack of diligence" in the care of the mural paintings of Sijena and maintains that it is "safer" to install them in the monastery than to keep them in Barcelona. As reported by ACN, the preliminary results of the reports prepared by Aragonese technicians indicate a "lack of maintenance," "direct" effects due to humidity in some fragments, and the presence of dirt—such as cigarette butts, insects, or debris—behind the scenes, within the support structures of the paintings. "The conservation of the paintings has not met the necessary and desirable standards. If it were Catalan heritage, they would have preferred it, but it belongs to the Aragonese," stated the Director General of Culture of Aragon, Pedro Olloqui.

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The Ministry of Culture must explicitly position itself on the risks of moving the murals from the Sijena chapter house. A document from the MNAC, filed this Monday in the Huesca court, states that on Friday, the museum's president, Joan Oliveras, requested a letter from Minister Ernest Urtasun for a report from the Spanish Institute of Cultural Heritage (IPCE) on the suitability of moving the paintings. Although ministry technicians have been part of the working group on the murals, this is the first time the museum has made this request to the IPCE, considered the highest authority on art preservation in the country.

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The Government of Aragon has asked the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, to explain what work is being carried out on the murals in the chapter house of the Sijena Monastery by technicians from the Spanish Cultural Heritage Institute (IPCE), the Ministry itself, and the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC). In a letter sent to the Minister and the Court of First Instance and Investigation of Huesca, the Government of Aragon requests that the judge be informed of all the actions being carried out. The Director General of Culture of Aragon, Pedro Olloqui, has warned that any work on the paintings at the MNAC "must have the authorization of the owner."

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The MNAC race continues to avoid the transfer of the Sijena murals. This morning, the museum filed its written opposition to the execution of the ruling requiring them to return them to Aragon. According to the museum's statement, the MNAC reiterates its "technical inability to carry out the removal and transfer of the paintings due to the risk of irreparable damage that this operation entails" and maintains "the technical and legal arguments" it has defended throughout the process, "prioritizing the preservation of the work."

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One of the reproaches that are made in Aragon in relation to the Sijena case It only claims the works of art from Catalan museums. Now, the government of Aragon has stated that it wants to claim the painting from the main altarpiece of the monastery dedicated to The Nativity from the Prado Museum. The Vice President of Aragon, Mar Vaquero, announced this Wednesday that the government of Jorge Azcón will reclaim the painting if it is confirmed that it left the monastery illegally after 1936. This is according to researcher and expert from the Vilanova de Sijena City Council, Juan José Nieto, after reviewing the documentation provided by the MNAC, which showed the documentation provided by the MNAC, from the monastery and dating back to the beginning of the Civil War.

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New legal action to prevent the MNAC from having to transfer the murals from the chapter house of the Sijena monastery to Aragon: former vice-president of the Parliament, Josep Costa, registered on Monday. "a request for a declaration of plunder" of the paintings of Sijena to the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Fine Arts of the Ministry of Culture, according to what has been advanced The World and the ARA has been able to confirm. With this document, Costa opens a new "administrative route and, therefore, a judicial administrative dispute" so that the murals remain in the museum.

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As the late Eduard Punset said, there comes a time when "your neurons are fried." We're at the end of the political year, and there's no way to reheat an idea without burning it to a crisp. This Monday, Feijóo dedicated his usual words to us, but with a touch of pancakes."It's not necessary to change your passport, it's necessary to change your government. More than ever, Catalonia is Spain" - which leads us to the conclusion that the PP perhaps doesn't need to change its leader, but it does need a change of speechwriter.

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The technicians of the Aragon government have entered the MNAC this Monday shortly before eleven in the morning, as reported by the ACN, and in agreement with the ruling of the Huesca courtAccording to sources from the Aragonese government, technicians have begun work on the photogrammetric survey, first of all on the profane paintings, located in room 17. The technicians did not enter the offices, where around fifty people were gathered, including Junts deputies such as Laura Borràs, the president of Junts, the president of the Republic, and the Association of Municipalities for Independence (AMI). Sources from the MNAC (National Council of Municipalities for Independence) told ACN that there are four technicians in total working normally. They will work until Wednesday.

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Seven months. This is the deadline the MNAC has to move the paintings from Sijena to the chapter house of the Vilanova de Sijena monastery. Rocío Pilar Vargas, the judge of the Court of First Instance and Investigation No. 2 of Huesca, has issued the order for the final execution of the 2016 ruling upheld two months ago by the Supreme Court, and against which no appeal can be filed.

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The National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC) has sent a written statement to the Huesca court in charge of executing the the ruling on the return of the Sijena paintings to inform him of the willingness to comply with the mandate, but points out that a careful diagnosis is necessary the works of the chapter house to ensure its conservation, in accordance with European heritage regulations and Spanish heritage law. The ruling requires the MNAC to dismantle, move, and replace the paintings in the monastery. Therefore, the museum argues, all steps taken will also depend on the condition of the chapter house. For example, it's not the same whether the paintings should be boxed or on public display.

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We are still reeling from this week's fires, which fortunately have been brought under control.

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He The Supreme Court upheld the ruling a month ago. that forces the MNAC to return the murals in the chapter house of the Sijena Monastery. And it wasn't until this Wednesday that the museum's director, Pepe Serra, after informing the board of trustees, publicly addressed the case for the first time. "Complying with the ruling on the Sijena murals means subjecting them to a great risk of irreparable damage," Serra warns. "We are experiencing a very perverse triad," he lamented, because they must execute the Supreme Court ruling that forces them to return the paintings, they must preserve the murals, and they must legally protect the museum team members involved. But, whatever the outcome, Serra is "hopeful" that the court will assess the ruling based on the existing technical reports. And yet, he has never considered resigning, although that rumor circulated at one point. the paintings in the chapter house of the Sijena Monastery They lost their nature as mural paintings when they were torn off, and since Gudiol restored them, they have become part of a 132 m "artifact"² Made of wood and fabric, it includes the remains of burnt paintings, the thickest part of which is one millimeter. Furthermore, the different layers of this structure behave differently and are not cohesive. Nor are the remains of the mural painting cohesive, and the fire turned them into highly chemically reactive materials. Furthermore, the parts that Gudiol himself painted on plaster to complete the ensemble, 35% of the entire structure, are in an even more precarious state of preservation than the remains of the mural painting. "The complexity of this case cannot be addressed with rules, standards, grids, or ordinary questions reflecting other cases; this case is absolutely unique," explains Serra. In recent years, museum technicians have extracted microsamples of the murals and placed them in an office environment to see how they would react, and they were able to observe that they deteriorated much more than similar samples of the paintings from Sant Climent de Taüll.

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The president of Aragon has said these words about the Sijena works: "The sentence will be carried out willingly or by force." Deunidó, the phrase he uttered, while the MNAC (National Council of Aragon) declared "the technical inability to carry out the operation within the timeframe established by the civil procedure law."

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